1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a composition for use in the oral cavity, and more particularly to a composition for use in the oral cavity comprising an easily breakable granule, capable of giving a pleasant feeling to users.
2. Description of the Background Art
In order to impart an abrading property, various granules have been incorporated into compositions for use in the oral cavity, such as a tooth paste and a tooth powder. For example, the granule disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-7570 is prepared by using a water-insoluble abrading agent suitable for use in a dentifrice, and an agglomerating agent by means of a dry- or wet-type granulation method. Further examples include a macroscopic agglomerate of finely divided particles of an abrading agent, ground with a water-insoluble binder, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 48-13558; a granule as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-126806, comprising ethyl cellulose, which is insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol, and a water-insoluble powder; a granule as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-130522, which is prepared by mixing a granular material containing a powder which is substantially insoluble in water and a water-soluble polymer having a functional group which is reactive with a polyvalent metal ion, and treating the mixture with the polyvalent metal ion; a granule as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-250313, which contains as essential components magnesium aluminate metasilicate and polyphosphate; and a granule as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-299211, which is prepared by binding a water-insoluble powder with a water-insoluble inorganic binder, and which can pass through a 30-mesh sieve but cannot pass through a 200-mesh sieve, and is breakable under a pressure resulting from a load of 0.1 to 10 g per particle thereof.
The present composition for use in the oral cavity is required to give a pleasant feeling to users. For this reason, prior compositions generally incorporated a flavoring material, such as menthol or a natural substance containing menthol, into the composition.
However, the present inventors have found that a composition for use in the oral cavity containing an easily breakable granule gives a powdery feeling to users when it contains a flavoring material consisting of menthol or a natural substance containing menthol.
Thus, there is a demand for a composition for use in the oral cavity containing an easily breakable granule, which does not result in a powdery sensation when used, but rather, gives a pleasant feeling to users.